Triple-A roundup: Indy's Owens shines
Buffalo topped Syracuse in the first game of a doubleheader, 6-1. Omar Quintanilla went 3-for-3 with a double and three RBIs and Zach Lutz homered and drove in two runs. Mets' No. 3 prospect Jeurys Familia allowed one run on four hits and a walk while striking out eight over five innings to earn his second win. Nationals' No. 1 prospect Bryce Harper homered for the Chiefs' only run.
In the second game, Tanner Roark pitched six shutout innings and Ryan Perry threw a scoreless seventh for the save as Syracuse beat the Bisons, 1-0. Corey Brown's solo home run in the fourth accounted for the game's lone run. Matt Tuiasasopo went 2-for-2 for Buffalo.
Scott Diamond allowed two unearned runs and struck out four over seven innings to improve to 4-0 as Rochester beat Lehigh Valley, 3-2. Matt Carson doubled and drove in two runs for the Red Wings, and Ben Revere added a pair of hits and scored twice. Casey Fien earned his fourth save with two one-hit innings to finish off the IronPigs. Hector Luna and Cody Overbeck drove in Lehigh Valley's runs.
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre scored three in the seventh and one more in the eighth to edge Norfolk, 6-5. Jack Cust doubled and homered while Jayson Nix and Steve Pearce each doubled twice for the Yankees. Luis Exposito powered the Tides with three hits, including a triple and a double, and two RBIs. The second game of the scheduled doubleheader was postponed.
Brad Eldred tripled and plated three runs while Ryan Strieby and Audy Ciriaco each added two RBIs of their own in Toledo's 8-3 win over Columbus. Chad Huffman doubled twice for the Clippers and Beau Mills doubled and drove in two.
Dylan Axelrod allowed four hits and a walk while striking out six over 7 2/3 scoreless innings as Charlotte blanked Gwinnett, 2-0. Brian Bruney picked up his fourth save putting the finishing touches on the shutout. Greg Golson drove in the Knights' first run in the fourth and Jim Gallagher brought the second run home with a triple in the fifth.
In Pacific Coast League action, Chris Rusin allowed only two hits over eight shutout innings in Iowa's 2-1 win over Memphis. The southpaw outdueled Redbirds righty Brian Broderick, who fell to 1-3 on the season despite allowing just the two runs over six innings of work. Cubs second baseman Adrian Cardenas went 2-for-3 with a walk and stolen base while Chicago's No. 1 prospect Anthony Rizzo scored once.
Both the bats and the arms figured greatly in Round Rock's 10-0 road win over New Orleans. Express starter Neil Ramirez struck out six and allowed three hits over six shutout innings to lower his ERA to 2.14. First baseman Michael Bianucci hit his fifth home run on a three-RBI day. Catcher Luis Martinez and right fielder Joey Butler also added a home run and three RBIs each in the win.
An RBI single by Dodgers' No. 14 prospect Tim Federowicz in the top of the 14th inning led Albuquerque past Oklahoma City, 11-10. Isotopes catcher Josh Bard led all hitters with four RBIs and added his first home run of the season in the victory. Along with Bard, four other hitters between the two clubs, including Dodgers' No. 18 prospect Scott Van Slyke, had four hits in game that totaled 36 (19 for Albuquerque, 17 for Oklahoma City).
Adeiny Hechavarria, David Cooper and Ruben Gotay had two-RBI games for Las Vegas as the 51s trounced Colorado Springs, 9-2, at home. Gotay went 2-for-4 with a double out of the eighth spot in the lineup to improve his season average to .391. Starting pitcher Jesse Chavez allowed just one run on three hits and struck out seven over 5 2/3 innings. Right fielder Matt McBride (2-for-4, RBI) was the only Sky Sox player with more than one hit.
An RBI bunt single by Jarrod Dyson in the seventh inning proved to be the game-winner in Omaha's 2-1 win over Nashville. Omaha starter Nathan Adcock overcame a first-inning home run by Brooks Conrad to pitch eight strong innings in which he allowed five hits and only one walk. Seth McClung had his best outing of the young season after surrendering just two runs over 6 1/3 innings.
No. 9 A's prospect Chris Carter pounded three home runs and five RBIs in Sacramento's 12-4 win over Reno on the road. River Cats cleanup hitter Brandon Moss went 3-for-5 with two solo homers and is hitting .359 on the season. Designated hitter David Winfree went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs to lead the Aces.
Eric Hacker allowed two runs over 6 2/3 frames to move to a perfect 4-0 on the year during Fresno's 10-3 victory over Tacoma. Catcher Eli Whiteside went 2-for-4 with two doubles, three RBIs and two runs scored as the No. 9 man in the Grizzlies lineup. Giants' No. 10 prospect Conor Gillaspie went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs as the squad's third baseman. Luis Antonio Jimenez and Brandon Bantz homered for the Rainiers.
Salt Lake defeated Tucson, 16-1, but the big story was the early exit of MLB.com's No. 3 prospect Mike Trout, who left the game as a precautionary measure after being hit by a pitch. Bees first baseman Efren Navarro produced game highs in hits (four) and RBIs (four) while designated hitter Paul McAnulty hit his first two home runs of the year. Brad Mills allowed just one run in six innings to lower his ERA to 1.42, fifth-best in the PCL.